Sneak Peeks: Entertainment to bring you out of hibernation

This week, there are a number of great shows. Indeed, not only is the talent exceptional but each concert should be a little more special because the shows are offered in a hall that is the perfect fit for the performers.

Big names at intimate venues

-- Tonight at 8, the Gin Blossoms are at Vapor, the nightclub at Saratoga Racing and Gaming Casino in Saratoga Springs. This is the 20th anniversary of the popular Gin Blossoms, and seeing them in an intimate room should be a special experience.

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-- On Saturday, there are two special acts performing in Albany and each is at a perfect house for the act. How great to see The Trey Anastasio Band at the 2,800 -seat Place Theatre in Albany. It's the perfect place for the leader of the great jam band Phish to be playing with his own group. The show is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday; call (800) 745-3000.

-- On the same night, the mellow jazzy group Manhattan Transfer is playing at The Egg. Seeing this group in a space that seats less than 1,000 people should be another super experience. The performance is at 8 p.m.; call (518) 473-1845.

-- The only problem with great music groups in modest-sized houses is they sell out. It's not only true for Trey Anastasio and Manhattan Transfer, it holds true for Heart, the super rock group at Proctors Wednesday night (see story page). Buy your tickets early.

Kid stuff

If you're a kid, those rock stars pale in comparison to Elmo of Sesame Street who is bringing a gang of Super Heroes to the Glens Falls Civic Center Tuesday and Wednesday. Through song and dance, the Muppets teach healthy practices, like exercise, good nutrition and good sleeping habits. Shows are 7 p.m. Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday; call (800) 745-3000.

Just for fun

-- There's another major show in town this week as comic-ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is at the Times Union Center on Sunday. His Disorderly Conduct Tour will feature his normal cast of characters (dummies), which include Walter, the grumpy retiree; red neck Bubba J., Peanut and Little Jeff. The show is at 3 p.m.; call (518) 487-2000.

-- On Saturday at the Troy Music Hall, Michael Cooper uses masks to bring stories to life. In Masked Marvels and Wondertales, Cooper creates art and combines it with his original stories about courage and wonderment. He's not only a puppeteer, Cooper is a poet, comedian, story-teller and a stilt dancer. You get them all for the price of one admission. 2 p.m. Saturday at the Troy Savings bank Music Hall; call (518) 273-0038.

Folk front

-- Some nice things are happening at small venues, as well. One of the greats of folk music, Bill Staines, is at one of the great folk clubs in the nation. His show at 8 p.m. Friday at Caffè Lena in Saratoga Saratoga Springs is called "The Tour: Life Between the Lines." Considering Staines has been performing for five decades and still drives 65,000 miles a year to gigs, it's an apt name for a night that should have plenty of memories. 8 p.m. 800-838-3006, caffelena.org.

-- This weekend, Old Songs is holding its Winter Bash. It's a sampler composed of six local acts that will entertain and delight throughout the night.

Since it's a fundraiser, there will also be a raffle, a bake sale and a door prize. The prize is a pass to the June 28-30 Old Songs Festival. The Sampler starts at 8 p.m. at 37 South Main St., Voorheesville; call (518) 765-2815.

Local stages

There's also some bold theater available. The Not So Common Players is offering a free production of the original play, "The Beast," at Clifton Park/Halfmoon Library in Clifton Park (see story page) and Channel Z is returning to Caffè Lena with a production of "The Pillowman."

"The Pillowman" is the kind of theater not frequently offered by local companies. It's an extremely dark but brilliant work by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, which takes place in controlled society sometime in the future. A writer's short stories bear an eerie similarity to gruesome murders of children and the police state wants answers. Not for children or the squeamish.